Republican leader refuses to schedule another vote on state convention date

The chairman of the Iowa Republican Party is insisting on holding the GOP’s state convention a month later than normal. Iowa GOP chairman A.J. Spiker sent a letter to members of the party’s state central committee yesterday, saying he would not call for a revote on the decision to move the party’s state convention from June into July.

Governor Branstad, Senator Grassley and the five Republicans who’re running for U.S. Senate have called on the party to move the event back to June. They say June, historically, is when the convention has been held and delaying a month gives likely Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Bruce Braley another month to campaign without a challenger.

A few members of the party’s state central committee say they want to vote to move the convention back to June. Others say they weren’t present when the committee voted to move the convention to July.